Patent · US Expired

Landing gear mechanism for use on rough runways

US4552324A · kind A · utility

35Cited by
7References
66Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 31, 1983
Grant dateNov 12, 1985
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 31, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF16F9/512
  • WIPO fieldMechanical elements
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

Landing gear mechanism includes a built-in hydraulic actuator which may be actuated to provide a heavy load range, soft spring rate during take-off with a heavy take-off weight and a lower load range, softer spring rate after take-off and prior to landing with a lighter landing weight to yield more shock strut stroke for a given range of vertical load during landing. A special taxi valve allows for some fluid to bypass the main orifice more freely to and from the lower piston damping chamber to the shock strut air-oil chamber as soon as the landing energy stroke is complete to greatly reduce or eliminate high damping loads that might otherwise take place as the gear negotiates bumps. Such a valve may automatically be set to close for landing by the action of the gear extension during a subsquent take-off, thus reactivating the main orifice. For normal bounce, air in the primary chamber drives oil through an orifice in a rebound damper valve to the lower piston chamber in order to lift the supported weight of the aircraft as part of the return stroke. However, when riding over a hole, the air acts freely on the differential or net piston area of the gear which area is too small to l…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.